Archive for December 2015

The plan was to get out early before the heat kicked it. Turns out the heat don’t sleep, with 33º on the clock at 5:30 a.m. I didn’t even zip up.

Dave and I agreed on a short, punchy lap before turning in for a double espresso over ice. I could barely speak with a sore throat I’ve been struggling to shake off, but managed a 2nd fastest time on the Peak MtP KOM.

I did almost spew at the top, and from then on it was struggle town for a bit.

A spoke that’s been making a gentle ping each time I climbed on the bike the past week or so finally let go before we got back to the main Yarra Glen road. My back wheel now has a serious side to side whoop in it, but on some level I was glad to have to baby it back to the Zen Den for for coffee.

I set my alarm for 6:00 with the idea of getting 3-4 solid solo hours in the bank. I woke up at 6:30, with Fee poking me, and realised I must’ve set a weekday recurring alarm.

Although I was tempted to roll over and go back to sleep, I did get up to head out for something shorter. I was sluggish up to the top of Henderson’s Rd. By the top of Bonds I’d scaled back my expectations to a couple of laps of the Mt Pleasant circuit. By the end of the the KOM segment I was ready for home, with absolutely nothing in the tank.

It’s been a rough week at work, with some last minute, heavy-duty reconfiguration of work and, harder, my mental attitude toward it. It’s hard to explain just how fatigued that can make you, but I was full of cortisol this morning. Not even my favourite air, the crisp kind full of the promise of a hot day, was able to perk me up.

On the right hander into the creek crossing, just before the KOM start line, an older guy binned it hard behind me. Probably broke his collar bone. Two other guys had him sorted and sent me on my way, but it did sour the mood.

Rolling back down through Eltham, I remembered that the slow lifts are supposedly great for soaking that shit up, so I finished up the morning off the bike and over the bar.